Game Night (2018)

Game Night: Directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein. With Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan. A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters.

“This hilarious gonzo comedy has a sharp script, clever direction, and an excellent cast. In Game Night, writer Mark Perez and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have crafted a tightly structured story with little visual tricks that turn out to be significant. That said, the movie really lives and dies by its cast, and this is a top-notch ensemble. Morris — dependably funny on TVu0026#39;s New Girl — gets laughs from his bubbling jealousy and dead-on Denzel Washington impersonation, clicking well with Bunbury. Horgan drily delivers as someone whou0026#39;s far too smart for her date; youu0026#39;ll likely wish there was more of her in the film. Magnussen is spectacularly idiotic as Ryan, which is a gift. Open-hearted blockheads are always welcome in comedies such as this, and Magnussen — whou0026#39;s shown his dramatic chops in the likes of Birth of the Dragon — hits it out of the park. Plemonsu0026#39; dead-eyed Gary generates big laughs by doing as little as possible. His stony u0026quot;I see youu0026quot; face and monotone delivery steal every scene heu0026#39;s in. (At one point, he happily invites the group into his house … and, with a frozen smile, slowly backs into the darkness.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd as Max and Annie, Bateman and McAdams have great chemistry. Their timing together, their small reactions to each other; they really read as a couple who love each other, have a lot in common, and accept each otheru0026#39;s quirks. Oh, and theyu0026#39;re really funny. Bateman, as usual, is an effective straight man with subdued wit. McAdams gets to be a little wackier than usual and has some superb reaction moments. Theyu0026#39;re an appealing pair, and weu0026#39;re happy to follow them through this gleefully bloody comedy with a fair amount of twists and genuine laughs.”